CHANA (GARBANZO) MASALA

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)  add lots of flavor and protein to all kind of  dishes.  These are a staple in Middle Eastern cooking. Chickpeas are common ingredient in soups, salads and stews.

Here is a recipe for delicious chickpeas simmered in  fragrantly spiced  and slightly tangy gravy. It can be easily adjusted to suit your palate.

Readily available in a can but I had used the dried garbanzo beans that require soaking overnight. They are then rinsed and boiled until soft before you can proceed in  making any dishes.

Chana (Garbanzo) Masala  always make a popular side dish and a regular on our table.

CABBAGE FRITTERS GLUTEN FREE

If you're looking for  simple and delicious gluten free  fritters, you should try this recipe makes with only a few ingredients. The star ingredient for this fritter is cabbage. Along with chickpeas (garbanzo)  flour, onion, green chili and other ingredients, they are well combined to form into a thick batter before dropping them into hot oil.

Cabbage Fritters is a great example of how to enjoy delicate flavor of cabbage in your favorite appetizer/snack. Cabbage also contains Vitamin K, Vitamin C, fiber, folate and magnesium.

Keeping cabbage cold will keep it fresh and help it retain its vitamin C content. Put the whole head in a plastic bag in the crisper of your refrigerator.

GREEN GRAM/CHERUPAYAR CURRY

When fresh peas are not available or when you want to try a nutritious legume, green gram (mung bean) is the perfect choice. They are available any time of the year.

Not only these are an excellent source of cholesterol lowering fiber, protein and important minerals, they can be served as dessert, pancake, porridge or beverage.

This Green Gram/Cherupayar  Curry  is prepared using dried whole green gram, soaked in water for 2-6 hours before boiling them until soft. The longer you soaked, the shorter time is needed to cook them.

This spicy curry goes well with  puttu, dosa, rice or roti.

CAULIFLOWER STIR FRY

Stir fry is an easy way to bring out the flavor of the vegetables and it is a healthy way to eat them. I realized that you can stir fry pretty much any vegetable, carrot, spinach, potato, french bean, long bean and many more with the same method with fantastic result.

This time I have used cauliflower to go along with rice or flatbread.   Cauliflower Stir Fry  is most requested by my kids. 

KADAI VEGETABLES

Vegetables are a great source of nutrition in our diet. Not to mention, pulses and lentils are absolutely needed to compensate your protein if you are on vegetarian diet. This simple and delicious recipe of  colorful vegetables cooked in spicy gravy makes a flavorful meal and easily made ahead. It is also low fat and on the table in less than half an hour.

Since I needed extra gravy, have added a bit more water than the usual quantity but this is entirely up to you.

KADAI VEGETABLES
Serves   4

1 medium carrot cubed
1 medium potato cube
2 C  cauliflower cut into floret
2 tomato chopped
2 onion chopped
1 green chili sliced
1 TB ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 TB  chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
5 garlic chopped
1/2 in ginger chopped
1 tsp garam masala
2 TB cooking oil
salt to taste
cilantro for garnish

DIRECTION

Heat the oil, fry the onion until translucent. Add in ginger and garlic, fry until fragrant.

Now add the tomato, cook until soft. Mix in chili powder, green chili, coriander, cumin, 1-2 tablespoons water and salt. fry until raw smell goes.

Add in carrot, potato and little water, cover the pot.

Once they are half cooked, add in the cauliflower, stir and cover the pot again.

When the vegetables turn soft, add in the garam masala and check for salt. Stir for 1 minute remove from heat.

Garnish with cilantro  leaves at the time of serving.

PAPPU CHARU

Famous lentil gravy from Andhra Pradesh, a state situated on south eastern coast of India.  Pappu charu is a milder version of lentil gravy, done without sambar powder. Vegetables like eggplant, drumstick, radish,  sweet potato , pumpkin and carrot can be added to this gravy.

This fantastic dish has a  tangy and less spicy than other lentil stew  but nevertheless it is excellent combo with dosa, idli or even rice.

POTATO SALAD

This Potato Salad may be simple but it has plenty of flavor from mayonnaise, sweet corn. potato and lemon juice.  It is perfect for potluck or cookout activities. Potato salad can be flavored in a variety of ways with or without vegetables.

You can tweak this recipe by adding spicy sauces, boiled egg or even mustard. Best potato salad  is made  by experimenting  with different ingredients as you put it together This is a quick and easy way to enjoy your salad less than 20 minutes.

SPINACH DAL

This  classic Indian dish combining  mong dal with spinach  which  makes a healthy, nutritious and fabulous tasty dish  that  may be served  with rice or bread.

Including garlic, ginger and turmeric which had been shown to contain cancer-fighting substances and protein packed  ingredients in our diet not only delicious but at the same time a health booster too. Adjust the spicy level to your preference.

BEANS & CARROT FRY

Eating vegetables is one of the sources of vitamin and mineral. It is important that vegetables are included in our diet. We have to choose a fresh and colorful veggie so that they are tasty as well as attractive especially for fussy kid.

Stir fry is much easier to prepare and hardly utilized much time. Just cut up any vegetable you want to use almost same size to ensure uniform cooking. It uses least spice but very delicious.

CAULIFLOWER MASALA

This is a simple and easy side dish to go along with steaming white rice or flat bread. Although my son is not a big fan of this veggie but this one is an exception. Using sliced onion, tomato and right balance of spices, this turns out incredibly delicious.

CAULIFLOWER MASALA

300g cauliflower cut into bite size piece
2 Onions chopped
2 Tomato chopped
1/2 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp ginger paste
3 garlic chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 T coconut milk
2 T cooking oil
1/4 tsp mustard seed
salt to taste
1 sprig curry leaves
1/4 C water

METHOD

* Soak cut cauliflower in hot salty water for 10 minutes, drain.

* Heat the oil, fry the cumin seed and mustard seed until fragrant, add in the onion, cook until light brown.

* Add in ginger,  garlic, salt and tomato, cook until tomato turns soft.

* Now add the chili powder, coriander powder and turmeric, cook until raw smell goes.

* Add the cauliflower,  coconut milk and  1/4 cup of  water,  stir then cover the pan and cook until cauliflower turns soft.

* Sprinkle curry leaves and check the salt. Remove from heat.

CARROT STIR FRY

This is pretty simple to prepare and does not involved grinding. Despite its easy method, this is truly delicious and healthy stir fry. Moong dhal is added along with carrot. The dhal is soaked then boiled until soft but still retains its shape.

Besides moong dhal you could substitute with grated coconut, using the same method.This vegetable dish is great if served with rice, capati or roti as the side dish.

CARROT STIR FRY

4 Medium carrot
1 Big onion
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp split black gram (urad dhal)
1 tsp cumin seed
2 green chili
2 dry chili
1/2 C moong dhal (soaked and boiled)
2 T cooking oil
salt to taste
curry leaves

METHOD

* Scrap the outer skin of the carrot, cut into small pieces. Slice the onion and green chili.

* Heat the oil, add the mustard seed, when it pops up, add urad dhal, cumin seed , stir until urad dhal turns light brown.

* Now add the onion, green chili, dry chili and curry leaves, cook until the onion is translucent.

* Add the carrot and salt, stir and add a few spoons of water, cook until carrot turns soft using medium heat and close the lid.

* Now add the cooked moong dhal, stir well and remove.

BOMBAY PAV BHAJI

Pav bhaji is a famous street food of Indian, especially Mumbai and Pune. It consists of pav (bread) and the bhaji (gravy) made of potato, carrot, capsicum or other vegetable cooked with pav masala, onion, tomato and ginger garlic paste.

It is so convenient and also a complete meal for busy workers who are rushing for time. Now you can find this in many parts of the world including Singapore, Hong Kong, USA, UK and many more.

In my recipe, I have used whatever vegetables available in my kitchen and added chili powder since my family loves spicy food, green chili can be added instead of chili powder. It is entirely up to you to adjust the spice level according to your taste. I didn't mash the veggies but let them fully cooked and turns soft.

It is so delicious and will definitely cook this Bombay Pav Bhaji often. I halved the recipe, another alternative you could use this bhaji for stuffing your puff or bun. They become as great snack to be enjoyed by whole family during picnic or party.

SAMBAL GORENG (FRIED TOFU & TEMPEH)

Sambal Goreng (Fried Tofu & Tempeh)  is a vegetable dish made of soya bean cake, tempeh (fermented soya bean cake), long bean and spices simmered in aromatic coconut based gravy.

 It is so popular in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia easily obtainable from food vendors around these countries. Normally fresh prawn or beef slices are added along with the vegetables but am omitting them in my preparation.

Sambal Goreng (Fried Tofu & Tempeh)  is served along piping hot white rice or during Eid to accompany lontong (rice cake). The tofu and tempeh are cubed then lightly fried before cooking this dish. Besides the vegetable, dry chili, red and green chili, ginger, garlic, lemon grass, lengkuas and tamarind juice are used for making this delicious and spicy food. Do adjust the chili needed according to your preference.

This is how I make my sambal goreng:

SAMBAR (LENTIL CURRY)

Essential dish of South India, made of toor dhal flavored with special blend of spices, tamarind, garnished with curry leaves, mustard seed and fenugreek. It usually serves with plain rice, vada, dosa or iddly. There are various types of sambar available in Indian meal.

I'm using ready made sambar powder for this recipe which is quite tasty and simple to prepare. Vegetables like drumstick, carrot, brinjal or potato could be added to the gravy. How runny the sambar is depending on the quantity of water added during the process but I liked mine to be not too thick nor too watery.

SAYUR LODEH (VEGETABLE W/COCONUT MILK)

This gravy is a must to accompany lontong (compressed rice cake), most popular breakfast dish of  Malaysia/Singapore. It is mainly vegetables cooked in coconut milk, other vegetables such as long bean, brinjal and young jackfruit could be added to the gravy.

To serve, put few pieces of lontong together with sambal, serunding (spiced grated coconut) then topped with sayur lodeh. It is easily available on mornings at most hawker centers. You can also take this gravy with hot steaming rice as a side dish.

INGREDIENTS

1 small cabbage
250g yam bean (sengkuang)
1 carrot
3 pieces firm beancurd
3 pieces tempeh (fermented soya bean cake)
2 lemon grass bruised
1 in lengkuas (galangal) sliced
1 piece turmeric leaf
3 cups coconut milk
3 cups water
3 TB cooking oil
salt and sugar to taste

GRIND
10 dry chill (soak to soften)
10 shallots
4 cloves garlic
3 TB dried sliver fish (soak and rinse)
2 ins fresh turmeric root
1 in ginger

METHOD

* Cut each tempeh and tofu into 4, shallow fry until light brown, drain.

* Cut the vegetables, for carrot and yam bean, cut into sticks.

* Heat the oil, fry the blended ingredients until fragrant add the the lemon grass and lengkuas.

* Add the carrot, salt, water and yam bean, bring to boil. When boiling add the tofu, coconut milk, turmeric leaf and tempeh, cook until vegetables turns soft, stirring frequently.

* Now add salt and sugar to taste, ready to serve with lontong (rice cake) or white rice.

STIR FRY CABBAGE W/CHANA

This is simple and healthy dish and not spicy at all. It is popular in South Indian meal. I'm not adding coconut but used chana dhal instead.

We should include cabbage in our diet, it contains least fat and calories, good source of fiber, vitamin C, potassium and other nutrients, reduces risk of heart disease and stroke.

INGREDIENTS

1 medium size cabbage sliced
1/2 C chana dal (soaked and boiled)
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon urad dal
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 green chilli sliced
2 dry red chili
1 T cooking oil
salt to taste
curry leaves

DIRECTION

* Boil the chana dal until soft but still retain the shape, drain.

* Heat the oil, splutter the mustard seed, add urad dal fry until fragrant.

* Add green chili, dry chili, curry leaves, and ginger , stir for few minutes, add the cabbage, turmeric and salt. Stir and cover the pan for 10 minutes, stir occasionally .

* Once the cabbage is cooked, add chana dal, stir for few minutes, remove from heat.

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BRINJAL CURRY

My sons are not keen to eat any dish containing brinjal so I seldom cook them. Normally will add  Brinjal Curry when cooking fish curry or sambar, that also I'm the only one to complete this veggie.After much persuasion, they agreed to take a bite.

To my surprise they completed the whole plate of my Brinjal Curry, this means they really liked my preparation and wish to share with you how to cook them. Do adjust the red chili used as per your requirement.

BOTTLE GOURD W/DAL

This is also called lauki/sorakaya. Had tasted this when we went to Indian vegetarian restaurant, since then I felt in love with this dish. It is healthy but not so spicy and has slightly tangy taste.

It goes well with capati or hot steaming rice. The spices used are according to my taste but adjustable to your requirement and this is my way of cooking the bottle gourd. What you need are:


INGREDIENTS

2 cups bottle gourd cubed
1/2 cup toor dhal boiled
5 shallots sliced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
5 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon cumin seed
1/4 teaspoon mustard seed
2 T cooking oil
curry leaves
pinch of asafoetida
2 T tamarind paste
water
salt

METHOD

* Cook bottle gourd with water, turmeric and salt until soft.

* Heat the oil, fry cumin, mustard seed, asafoetida and curry leaves until it crackles.

* Add onion, garlic and chili powder, stir for few minutes. Add tamarind juice, bring to boil.

* Now add the dhal, bottle gourd and salt if required, simmer for few minutes.

* Serve hot.

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PUMPKIN CURRY AND SPECIAL CARDS

This is one of my favorite vegetables. It has slightly sweet coupled with spicy and tangy taste. Since the skin is very tough, I just scrap it lightly without removing the peel. You have to take care not to boil the pumpkin for a long time since it turns soft quite fast. Absolutely delicious, great to serve with rice, chapati or naan.

CHYE SIM WITH DHAL

Simple and nutritious vegetable, it is non spicy and best taken with rice or capati. Beside chye sim (Japanese mustard spinach) other leafy vegetables could be replaced using this method. Adding the chili powder makes it tastier otherwise it is rather bland. Without soaking, boil  the moong dhal until soft but still maintain its shape before adding them to the veggie.

INGREDIENTS

200g chye sim chopped
1 onion sliced
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon urad dhal
2 tablespoons moong dhal soaked
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste

METHOD

1. Heat the oil, splutter the mustard seeds and urad dhal. Add the onion, fry until light brown.

2. Add the garlic and chili powder, fry for a minute then add the chye sim, salt and the dhal.

3. Stir for few minutes, remove from heat.

4. Serve hot.

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